WEBVTT Kind: captions; Language: en 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:04.001 Marshall McLuhan said that one day we would all live in a global village, an 00:00:04.001 --> 00:00:07.001 electronic community interconnected by communications 00:00:07.001 --> 00:00:09.001 networks that would shrink the earth. 00:00:10.001 --> 00:00:14.001 Well, the global village has arrived and its main street is called the Internet, 00:00:15.000 --> 00:00:19.000 where people from around the world do meet electronically to exchange ideas. 00:00:19.001 --> 00:00:23.001 Today we'll surf the net, we'll explore the Internet on this 00:00:23.001 --> 00:00:25.001 edition of the Computer Chronicles. 00:00:40.001 --> 00:00:45.001 Computer Chronicles is brought to you in part by Intel Microprocessor Technology 00:00:45.001 --> 00:00:47.001 for the software of today and tomorrow. 00:00:48.000 --> 00:00:49.001 Intel, the computer inside. 00:00:51.000 --> 00:00:55.000 Additional funding is provided by the Software Publishers Association, providers 00:00:55.000 --> 00:00:57.001 of educational materials to help manage software. 00:00:58.000 --> 00:00:59.001 Don't copy that floppy. 00:01:00.001 --> 00:01:03.001 And by Hewlett Packard, Personal Computer Division. 00:01:09.000 --> 00:01:12.001 Welcome to the Computer Chronicles, I'm Stuart Chafay and with me today is 00:01:12.001 --> 00:01:14.000 David Chargel of Aladdin Systems. 00:01:15.000 --> 00:01:17.000 David, there's a little bit of interest in the Internet these days. 00:01:17.000 --> 00:01:19.001 There's a new book coming out every week just about on how to use the Internet. 00:01:20.000 --> 00:01:23.000 You guys have just come out with a new piece of software called Sitcom that makes 00:01:23.000 --> 00:01:25.001 it easy to log on to Internet and move files up and back and so on. 00:01:26.000 --> 00:01:27.000 Show us how Sitcom works. 00:01:27.000 --> 00:01:31.001 Okay, well I'm in my address book right now and as you can see I just typed in my 00:01:31.001 --> 00:01:36.001 name, my phone number and my ID and password and I'm just going to save that 00:01:36.001 --> 00:01:38.000 address book entry and connect. 00:01:38.001 --> 00:01:39.001 It's that easy to try to connect. 00:01:40.000 --> 00:01:41.000 We're logging on right now. 00:01:41.000 --> 00:01:44.000 We're getting right now on to Netcom which is an Internet dial up. 00:01:44.001 --> 00:01:47.001 One of the things I did not show you in that particular address book entry was a 00:01:47.001 --> 00:01:49.001 pop-up menu that has a list of all the 00:01:49.001 --> 00:01:51.000 services that Sitcom knows how to get on to. 00:01:51.000 --> 00:01:54.000 For example, the well or the world which are other 00:01:54.000 --> 00:01:55.001 very popular Internet dial ups. 00:01:56.000 --> 00:02:00.000 It also knows how to get on to CompuServe, Genie, MCI Mail, Dow Jones, a lot of 00:02:00.000 --> 00:02:03.000 commercial services automatically as well as local bulletin boards. 00:02:03.001 --> 00:02:06.000 What I mean by that is it knows when to type, where to type. 00:02:06.000 --> 00:02:09.000 For example, when the system asks for password it knows when to type the 00:02:09.000 --> 00:02:12.000 password, when the system asks for the name, it knows when to type the name. 00:02:12.001 --> 00:02:14.001 Okay, so we are just about logged on now I see. 00:02:15.000 --> 00:02:16.001 As you can see it's typing the name, password 00:02:16.001 --> 00:02:19.000 and we've just established a connection here. 00:02:19.000 --> 00:02:19.001 Alright, so what can we do? 00:02:19.001 --> 00:02:24.001 I'm going to ask it to send me a file that I earlier got to my account on Netcom 00:02:24.001 --> 00:02:28.001 via FTP or File Transfer Protocol and you can see it's now downloading that 00:02:28.001 --> 00:02:30.000 file via Zmodem. 00:02:31.000 --> 00:02:36.001 Once that file is here, I'm going to disconnect, I'm offline now and it's 00:02:36.001 --> 00:02:39.000 automatically going to expand that file because it was in a stuff it format 00:02:39.000 --> 00:02:41.000 which is a popular format on the Macintosh. 00:02:42.000 --> 00:02:47.000 If I was dealing with files from the PC I can expand zip files, ARC files or if 00:02:47.000 --> 00:02:50.000 I'm dealing with Unix which is what the internet is based on I can get it Unix 00:02:50.000 --> 00:02:53.001 compress files, tar files, UU code files. 00:02:55.000 --> 00:02:57.001 So what I'm going to do now, I'm still within sitcom and I'm going 00:02:57.001 --> 00:02:59.000 to view the file that I just got. 00:02:59.001 --> 00:03:02.001 It's already expanded and here it is, the Clinton inaugural address. 00:03:03.000 --> 00:03:04.001 This is the full text that I got to my machine. 00:03:05.001 --> 00:03:06.000 And there it is. 00:03:06.001 --> 00:03:07.001 It was pretty easy to do. 00:03:08.000 --> 00:03:08.001 Alright, thank you. 00:03:09.000 --> 00:03:11.001 Today we'll spend some time on the internet and we'll visit folks who are doing 00:03:11.001 --> 00:03:14.000 all kinds of interesting things on internet. 00:03:14.000 --> 00:03:18.000 Now internet started as a defense department network designed specifically to 00:03:18.000 --> 00:03:20.000 hook up different research centers around the country. 00:03:20.001 --> 00:03:23.001 So we'll begin with a brief history of the internet by visiting the place where 00:03:23.001 --> 00:03:28.000 it all began ARPA, the Advanced Research Projects Agency in Arlington, Virginia. 00:03:30.000 --> 00:03:35.000 ARPA was formed by President Eisenhower after Sputnik, its mission to guard the U 00:03:35.000 --> 00:03:37.000 .S. against technological surprise. 00:03:37.001 --> 00:03:41.001 Pioneering work on networking technologies resulted in the birth of the internet. 00:03:41.001 --> 00:03:45.001 Since the early days, internet has provided vital communication 00:03:45.001 --> 00:03:47.000 links in the research community. 00:03:47.001 --> 00:03:52.000 The internet is one of the major projects from the late 70s, early 80s. 00:03:52.001 --> 00:03:56.000 There's been a long tradition of advanced technology developments at ARPA 00:03:56.000 --> 00:03:59.000 starting from the early time sharing projects through computer graphics, into 00:03:59.000 --> 00:04:02.001 computer networks, through personal computing, and more recently to the new world 00:04:02.001 --> 00:04:04.000 of scalable high performance computing. 00:04:04.001 --> 00:04:08.001 The most recent internet inspired development at ARPA is the Enterprise Room. 00:04:09.000 --> 00:04:12.000 That's Enterprise as in Starship Enterprise. 00:04:12.001 --> 00:04:16.000 ARPA's Captain Kirk is Steven Squires, Director of High 00:04:16.000 --> 00:04:17.001 Performance Communications Research. 00:04:18.000 --> 00:04:20.000 I'd like to welcome you to the bridge of the HPC Enterprise. 00:04:20.001 --> 00:04:24.000 Behind me you'll see a view screen which is a window into the country's high 00:04:24.000 --> 00:04:26.000 performance computing and communications program. 00:04:26.001 --> 00:04:31.001 On the center screen you can see a map representing all the bit ways which are 00:04:31.001 --> 00:04:34.000 feeding the Washington area to which this facility is connected. 00:04:34.001 --> 00:04:39.000 Enterprise is the visual embodiment of all the advanced technologies coming out 00:04:39.000 --> 00:04:42.001 of the government's high performance computing and communications program. 00:04:43.000 --> 00:04:45.001 And ARPA is not keeping Enterprise to itself. 00:04:46.000 --> 00:04:50.000 Researchers from around the country pop in via internet connections or in person. 00:04:50.001 --> 00:04:53.001 It's created a whole new spirit of cooperation among the different agencies in 00:04:53.001 --> 00:04:55.001 the federal government and throughout the scientific community. 00:04:56.000 --> 00:04:58.000 People are able to share ideas and develop new 00:04:58.000 --> 00:04:59.001 things simply based upon their interest. 00:05:00.000 --> 00:05:02.000 Mosaic is one of those new developments. 00:05:02.001 --> 00:05:06.000 It's a hypertext interface that lets you browse any information 00:05:06.000 --> 00:05:07.001 service provided by the internet. 00:05:08.001 --> 00:05:11.000 Mosaic was developed by the National Center for Supercomputing 00:05:11.000 --> 00:05:13.001 Applications with ARPA's support. 00:05:14.000 --> 00:05:19.000 The thing that makes Mosaic special is that it gives everyone access without 00:05:19.000 --> 00:05:22.000 there having to be a rocket scientist. 00:05:22.001 --> 00:05:25.000 They don't have to be trained in esoteric computing. 00:05:26.001 --> 00:05:27.001 Grade school kids can use it. 00:05:27.001 --> 00:05:31.001 In fact, we're installing it in schools because it's a point and click interface. 00:05:32.000 --> 00:05:35.001 And that point and click instead of going through information that's on your 00:05:35.001 --> 00:05:40.001 personal computer, it's as if there's a million computers on the internet inside 00:05:40.001 --> 00:05:42.001 your own personal computer. 00:05:43.000 --> 00:05:47.001 These top level researchers hope Mosaic lures more average computer users to the 00:05:47.001 --> 00:05:49.001 internet, especially young people. 00:05:50.000 --> 00:05:53.000 All over the world people, local people, ordinary people 00:05:53.000 --> 00:05:54.001 are becoming electronic publishers. 00:05:54.001 --> 00:05:57.001 They're putting up the things that mean something to them and they want 00:05:57.001 --> 00:05:59.000 to share it with the rest of the world. 00:05:59.001 --> 00:06:03.001 And what Mosaic does is it provides a window into this incredible cyberspace, 00:06:03.001 --> 00:06:05.001 this information space that's developing. 00:06:06.000 --> 00:06:11.000 And it allows you to simply, what we call net surf, looking for cool stuff. 00:06:11.001 --> 00:06:13.000 That's what the kids say they're doing. 00:06:13.000 --> 00:06:15.001 That's the whole mentality of this. 00:06:15.001 --> 00:06:18.000 For the Computer Chronicles, I'm Jonelle Patterson. 00:06:31.001 --> 00:06:35.000 As we mentioned earlier, there are lots of books out now on the internet and one 00:06:35.000 --> 00:06:37.001 of the best is by Brendan Kehoe, who's our guest now. 00:06:37.001 --> 00:06:41.000 This is Brendan's book, Zen and the Art of the Internet, a beginner's guide. 00:06:41.001 --> 00:06:43.001 And there's a new edition just coming out in January, I guess. 00:06:44.000 --> 00:06:46.000 Brendan, I want to ask you to log on to the internet. 00:06:46.000 --> 00:06:49.001 And while you're doing that, we're going to run over to NASA at Moffett Field in 00:06:49.001 --> 00:06:52.000 California to see how they are using the internet. 00:06:53.000 --> 00:06:57.001 This is the operation center for the NASA Science Internet, a network that lets 00:06:57.001 --> 00:07:00.000 NASA mission scientists around the world share information. 00:07:01.000 --> 00:07:04.001 NASA provides information for public internet access, but the NSI is 00:07:04.001 --> 00:07:06.001 strictly an insider network. 00:07:07.000 --> 00:07:11.000 The public cannot get an account on the NASA Science Internet. 00:07:11.001 --> 00:07:14.000 You have to be funded somehow by NASA. 00:07:14.000 --> 00:07:18.001 However, anyone with access to the internet can access the public information 00:07:18.001 --> 00:07:20.001 that NASA makes available. 00:07:21.000 --> 00:07:24.001 The latest innovation on the NASA Science Internet is packet video. 00:07:25.000 --> 00:07:28.001 NASA has devised a way to compress the video and audio segments of 00:07:28.001 --> 00:07:30.001 conferencing for carriage on the internet. 00:07:31.001 --> 00:07:34.001 All right, that makes great sense, I understand that. 00:07:34.001 --> 00:07:35.001 Thanks a lot, David. 00:07:36.000 --> 00:07:36.001 You're welcome. 00:07:37.000 --> 00:07:40.001 Packet video will cost a lot less than traditional video conferencing. 00:07:41.000 --> 00:07:46.000 Video conferencing facilities typically cost 10 to 20 times as much as the 00:07:46.000 --> 00:07:49.000 desktop video conferencing technology we're developing here at NASA. 00:07:49.000 --> 00:07:54.001 Also, the interconnectivity between sites often costs 50 to 100 dollars an hour, 00:07:55.000 --> 00:07:58.001 whereas using the internet we can transfer the material at approximately 10 00:07:58.001 --> 00:08:02.000 dollars an hour in wide area conferences, saving a tremendous amount. 00:08:02.001 --> 00:08:06.001 NASA is developing video hardware to reduce the signal load on the internet and 00:08:06.001 --> 00:08:08.001 a whiteboard for document sharing. 00:08:09.000 --> 00:08:12.000 All of this technology may show up soon in schools nationwide. 00:08:12.001 --> 00:08:16.000 In three to five years we expect to be able to put this technology into every 00:08:16.000 --> 00:08:20.000 school system in the country and share it for use in distance learning. 00:08:20.000 --> 00:08:25.000 And it can also be used for sharing valuable resources like a gifted instructor 00:08:25.000 --> 00:08:28.000 or a researcher in a wide area setting. 00:08:28.000 --> 00:08:31.001 Packet video currently transmits at two frames per second across the internet. 00:08:32.001 --> 00:08:36.001 Stations running at 10 to 12 frames per second will be deployed within two years. 00:08:36.001 --> 00:08:41.000 We'll have remote exploration vehicles sending back packet video information, 00:08:42.000 --> 00:08:48.000 Antarctica missions, missions using visualization technology and virtual reality 00:08:48.000 --> 00:08:51.001 technology using packet video to distribute these not only to researchers 00:08:51.001 --> 00:08:53.000 but to educational institutions. 00:08:54.000 --> 00:08:56.000 For the Computer Chronicles, I'm Janelle Stilson. 00:09:08.001 --> 00:09:12.001 And we're back here with Brendan Kehoe and you've logged on to Internet Brendan. 00:09:12.001 --> 00:09:15.000 Before we take a look, what's the big deal about internet? 00:09:15.000 --> 00:09:17.000 Why is everybody making such a fuss about it? 00:09:17.000 --> 00:09:19.000 Why is it better than CompuServe or Prodigy, etc.? 00:09:19.000 --> 00:09:23.000 Well, the chief benefit is that it's not owned by one company or even a 00:09:23.000 --> 00:09:25.000 conglomerate of companies like Prodigy or CompuServe. 00:09:25.000 --> 00:09:28.001 You're influenced by what those companies thought your users would want to do. 00:09:28.001 --> 00:09:31.000 Where on the internet anyone can put any service on and have 00:09:31.000 --> 00:09:33.000 it do anything they want with it. 00:09:33.000 --> 00:09:34.000 It's kind of user controlled. 00:09:34.001 --> 00:09:34.001 Right. 00:09:34.001 --> 00:09:37.000 It's completely molded by the people who use it. 00:09:37.000 --> 00:09:37.001 All right. 00:09:37.001 --> 00:09:40.000 Let's take a look and show me some of the neat things you can do on the internet. 00:09:40.000 --> 00:09:40.001 Okay. 00:09:40.001 --> 00:09:44.000 The first thing we'll be doing is looking for a job, a friend of mine who just 00:09:44.000 --> 00:09:46.000 got her teacher's certificate and she's in the northeast. 00:09:47.000 --> 00:09:51.000 So we'll be using a tool called Gopher which lets you burrow around the internet 00:09:51.000 --> 00:09:55.000 and pop up where the information you need happens to be and we're going into the 00:09:55.000 --> 00:09:58.001 online career center and this will let you search the job listings. 00:09:58.001 --> 00:10:02.000 It'll also let you search resumes if you're looking for people to work for you. 00:10:02.001 --> 00:10:04.000 And here we'll search for the word teacher. 00:10:05.000 --> 00:10:06.001 It'll go and perform the search. 00:10:06.001 --> 00:10:08.001 So you're looking for a teacher's job in the northeast? 00:10:09.000 --> 00:10:09.001 Right. 00:10:09.001 --> 00:10:10.000 Okay. 00:10:10.000 --> 00:10:15.001 And this is running on a machine in Michigan and here we've got a small list of 00:10:15.001 --> 00:10:18.000 positions and let's say she wants to be a substitute teacher. 00:10:18.000 --> 00:10:22.001 At the Bayview Health Care Center we'll get the list of contact information, the 00:10:22.001 --> 00:10:26.000 phone number, the requirements, salary, that kind of thing. 00:10:26.000 --> 00:10:26.001 That's pretty neat in itself. 00:10:27.001 --> 00:10:28.000 What else? 00:10:28.001 --> 00:10:30.000 And the next thing we'll be looking at is 00:10:30.000 --> 00:10:31.001 one of the more silly parts of the internet. 00:10:32.000 --> 00:10:37.000 It's called Finger which usually will let you go and check if people are logged 00:10:37.000 --> 00:10:41.000 into certain systems but some people have set up the information that gets output 00:10:41.000 --> 00:10:44.001 by Finger to be whatever they want like NFL scores or the billboard 00:10:44.001 --> 00:10:46.000 charts or that kind of thing. 00:10:46.001 --> 00:10:50.001 So here we're looking at the billboard charts for this week and we'll see... 00:10:50.001 --> 00:10:52.001 Top R&B singles, etcetera, etcetera. 00:10:52.001 --> 00:10:54.000 And we'll see number five is Mariah Carey. 00:10:55.000 --> 00:10:58.000 So one thing we can do over the net is order that CD. 00:10:59.000 --> 00:11:00.001 So you can't actually buy stuff on the internet. 00:11:00.001 --> 00:11:01.000 Right. 00:11:01.000 --> 00:11:05.000 It's a very sticky situation because one of the biggest problems is security 00:11:05.000 --> 00:11:06.001 and transfer of money and that kind of thing. 00:11:07.001 --> 00:11:11.001 But many systems have actually set it up so that you can do things on the 00:11:11.001 --> 00:11:14.001 internet involving money transfer and credit cards and that sort of thing. 00:11:14.001 --> 00:11:14.001 Alright. 00:11:14.001 --> 00:11:15.001 What else? 00:11:16.000 --> 00:11:21.000 So here we're going into the compact disconnection and as soon as it wakes up, 00:11:21.001 --> 00:11:25.000 one of the drawbacks of using the internet is that since it's so autonomous, 00:11:25.001 --> 00:11:29.000 every system can be up or down or be as slow as fast as you want. 00:11:29.000 --> 00:11:31.000 So nobody's really controlling traffic in the middle. 00:11:31.001 --> 00:11:34.000 And the only guarantee is that your packets will get there. 00:11:34.000 --> 00:11:35.000 It's just a matter of when they will get there. 00:11:35.001 --> 00:11:35.001 Okay. 00:11:36.000 --> 00:11:37.001 Well can we skip past this right now and let us know something else? 00:11:37.001 --> 00:11:40.000 This is taking a little long so what we'll do is... 00:11:40.000 --> 00:11:41.000 We'll skip buying the CD at the moment. 00:11:41.001 --> 00:11:42.001 We'll get out of there. 00:11:43.000 --> 00:11:50.000 And now we'll go in and we'll use a thing again using Go4 to 00:11:50.000 --> 00:11:52.001 look up an article in the New Republic magazine. 00:11:53.001 --> 00:11:55.001 And we'll fix a typo and there we go. 00:11:56.001 --> 00:11:58.001 And we'll go into the electronic newsstand. 00:11:59.001 --> 00:12:03.001 And all of the articles in the current edition of many magazines are available 00:12:03.001 --> 00:12:07.000 through this like the New Republic Internet World in fact is 00:12:07.000 --> 00:12:08.001 actually one foreign affairs magazine. 00:12:09.000 --> 00:12:13.000 So now we'll go into the New Republic and we'll go into the current issue and 00:12:13.000 --> 00:12:14.001 see what their editorial is about. 00:12:15.000 --> 00:12:16.001 It just happens to be about NAFTA. 00:12:17.000 --> 00:12:19.000 So I have to do a sit return on there and there's the editorial. 00:12:19.000 --> 00:12:19.001 Full text article. 00:12:19.001 --> 00:12:20.001 Full text for it. 00:12:21.001 --> 00:12:24.001 And what we can also do now, now that we've read that editorial is we can go over 00:12:24.001 --> 00:12:28.000 to another system in this case in University of 00:12:28.000 --> 00:12:29.001 Northern Carolina, North Carolina. 00:12:30.000 --> 00:12:32.000 And we'll use anonymous FTP. 00:12:32.001 --> 00:12:38.000 And by typing anonymous at the name prompt and then use our email address at the 00:12:38.000 --> 00:12:40.000 password you don't need a real password for this. 00:12:40.001 --> 00:12:43.001 This will let anyone put files available on the internet. 00:12:44.001 --> 00:12:49.001 And so in this case we're going to go into a public political science area. 00:12:50.001 --> 00:12:55.000 And if we do a directory we'll see it has a whole bunch of stuff, the US budget. 00:12:56.000 --> 00:12:58.000 And now we'll go into NAFTA. 00:12:59.001 --> 00:13:06.000 And we can see that we can actually get the full text of NAFTA separated by 00:13:06.000 --> 00:13:07.001 the chapters and by the appendixes. 00:13:07.001 --> 00:13:09.000 A couple of quick questions. 00:13:10.000 --> 00:13:11.001 If I want to get onto internet how do I do it? 00:13:11.001 --> 00:13:12.001 How do I get into internet? 00:13:13.000 --> 00:13:16.001 The best solution since it's very dependent upon where you live is to call 00:13:16.001 --> 00:13:18.001 something called the internet helpline. 00:13:19.000 --> 00:13:21.000 And you call 1-800-444-4345. 00:13:22.000 --> 00:13:25.001 And they'll help you find out who you should talk to in your local area. 00:13:25.001 --> 00:13:27.001 What on average is it going to cost to use internet? 00:13:28.000 --> 00:13:30.001 Between $10 and $20 a month for a normal user. 00:13:30.001 --> 00:13:31.001 Brendan, thank you very much. 00:13:32.000 --> 00:13:32.000 All right. 00:13:32.000 --> 00:13:35.001 To get the most out of something like internet we really need that information 00:13:35.001 --> 00:13:38.001 superhighway to give us all a common digital data path. 00:13:38.001 --> 00:13:41.000 That's the goal of the developers at the Bell Communications 00:13:41.000 --> 00:13:43.000 Research Labs in New Jersey. 00:13:44.000 --> 00:13:48.000 Bell Corps provides research, support and communication services to the seven 00:13:48.000 --> 00:13:49.001 regional Bell operating companies. 00:13:50.001 --> 00:13:54.001 Projects there involve expansion of digital transmission pathways such as the 00:13:54.001 --> 00:13:59.001 development of video on demand service transmitted over existing phone lines and 00:13:59.001 --> 00:14:02.001 innovations in video conferencing such as this desktop 00:14:02.001 --> 00:14:04.001 drop-in system called Cruiser. 00:14:05.000 --> 00:14:05.001 [...] 00:14:06.001 --> 00:14:07.000 How you doing? 00:14:07.001 --> 00:14:08.000 Okay. 00:14:09.000 --> 00:14:13.000 Research director Steve Weinstein says the internet plays a significant role in 00:14:13.000 --> 00:14:17.000 Bell Corps' work both as a research tool and as a subject for high 00:14:17.000 --> 00:14:18.001 -speed technology development. 00:14:19.000 --> 00:14:23.001 We believe that the public network, the owners of Bell Corps, can be providers, 00:14:24.000 --> 00:14:27.001 significant providers of those kinds of facilities that the 00:14:27.001 --> 00:14:29.001 future broadband internet is going to need. 00:14:29.001 --> 00:14:33.000 How people react to electronic forms of information is another 00:14:33.000 --> 00:14:34.001 subject of Bell Corps research. 00:14:35.001 --> 00:14:39.001 That's why Bell Corps decided to provide the Morris County Library system with a 00:14:39.001 --> 00:14:41.000 host connection to the internet. 00:14:41.001 --> 00:14:44.000 We've extended an existing interlibrary network 00:14:44.000 --> 00:14:45.001 that they had in Morris County, New Jersey. 00:14:46.000 --> 00:14:50.001 The existing network had a consolidated catalog for the entire county. 00:14:51.000 --> 00:14:55.001 So all the libraries had terminals, public access terminals and also some other 00:14:55.001 --> 00:14:58.001 terminals that only the librarians use and had access to a consolidated 00:14:58.001 --> 00:15:00.001 catalog and circulation database. 00:15:01.001 --> 00:15:05.000 And what Moinet is is an extension of this to connect this whole network to the 00:15:05.000 --> 00:15:07.001 outside world and make a lot more resources available. 00:15:08.000 --> 00:15:10.000 So far, the response has been enthusiastic. 00:15:10.001 --> 00:15:16.001 They realize how much it offers, that it's almost a, there's a world out there 00:15:16.001 --> 00:15:20.001 and they're thrilled with the fact that they can jump from Maine to Australia 00:15:20.001 --> 00:15:25.000 back to San Francisco on the internet and they love it. 00:15:25.000 --> 00:15:29.001 One of the items on the Moinet menu is a Bell Corps creation called Superbook. 00:15:30.000 --> 00:15:34.000 It's a hypertext interface that lets internet network providers offer 00:15:34.000 --> 00:15:35.001 large searchable databases. 00:15:36.000 --> 00:15:40.001 What Superbook will do is allow them to maintain their document database in a 00:15:40.001 --> 00:15:44.001 central location on the internet and then put out their documentation, whether 00:15:44.001 --> 00:15:49.000 it's a journal or some other set of materials to a whole variety of end user 00:15:49.000 --> 00:15:52.001 workstations ranging from an ASCII terminal all the way up to a 00:15:52.001 --> 00:15:54.000 very fancy workstation. 00:15:54.000 --> 00:15:58.001 Moinet's internet connection also provides access for library patrons to 00:15:58.001 --> 00:16:03.001 university databases, weather information and the CIA World Factbook. 00:16:04.000 --> 00:16:08.001 We're interested in making a more effective public communications network and by 00:16:08.001 --> 00:16:10.001 public we mean something open to everyone. 00:16:11.000 --> 00:16:14.001 And this is part of it, trying to make access broader, easier 00:16:14.001 --> 00:16:16.001 and more effective for a very wide public. 00:16:17.000 --> 00:16:21.001 And we hope that the knowledge we get here will help not only our owners to be 00:16:21.001 --> 00:16:24.001 more effective providers but will advance the 00:16:24.001 --> 00:16:26.000 whole national information infrastructure. 00:16:26.001 --> 00:16:29.000 For the Computer Chronicles, I'm Janelle Patterson. 00:16:42.000 --> 00:16:44.000 The internet is more than a technology. 00:16:44.000 --> 00:16:47.001 It's a sociological phenomenon which is redefining the word community. 00:16:48.000 --> 00:16:51.000 Here to show us that aspect of internet is Howard Reingold. 00:16:51.001 --> 00:16:54.000 Howard's the author of this book called The Virtual Community. 00:16:54.000 --> 00:16:57.001 And I want to ask you to sign on for us and while we're waiting for you to log on 00:16:57.001 --> 00:17:00.001 Howard, we're going to run over to Washington, D.C. to see one of the most 00:17:00.001 --> 00:17:02.001 innovative applications on the internet. 00:17:03.000 --> 00:17:06.000 It's the world's first computer delivered radio station. 00:17:07.001 --> 00:17:10.001 You've been listening to Geek of the Week on internet talk radio. 00:17:11.000 --> 00:17:13.001 Carl Malamud is internet talk radio. 00:17:13.001 --> 00:17:17.001 He produces audio data files at this studio in the National Press Club building 00:17:17.001 --> 00:17:20.001 then uploads them onto the internet via the World Wide Web. 00:17:21.000 --> 00:17:26.000 By sending mail to info at radio. com, you can access his interview program Geek 00:17:26.000 --> 00:17:29.000 of the Week and recordings of the National Press Club luncheon series. 00:17:30.000 --> 00:17:33.001 I'd like to welcome club members and their guests in the audience today as well 00:17:33.001 --> 00:17:39.000 as those of you watching on C-SPAN or accessing it on the global 00:17:39.000 --> 00:17:40.001 internet computer network. 00:17:40.001 --> 00:17:44.000 It's one of those ideas that started as a hobby and kind of went nuts. 00:17:44.001 --> 00:17:46.001 I wrote books about computers. 00:17:46.001 --> 00:17:50.001 I wrote seven books and I wrote magazine articles and I was looking for a 00:17:50.001 --> 00:17:54.000 magazine about the internet and there wasn't one and I wanted to start one. 00:17:55.000 --> 00:17:58.000 But that's expensive because you have to print paper and you have to mail paper 00:17:58.000 --> 00:18:00.000 and you have to audit who gets the paper 00:18:00.000 --> 00:18:02.000 so you can get it back to your advertisers. 00:18:03.000 --> 00:18:05.000 And I decided gee, let's do something on the network. 00:18:05.001 --> 00:18:09.000 Unlike a normal broadcast station which transmits programming on a regular 00:18:09.000 --> 00:18:13.000 schedule, Malamud's cyber station is asynchronous radio. 00:18:13.001 --> 00:18:16.001 Our radio is a kind of radio station which you pull up when you want. 00:18:17.000 --> 00:18:20.000 You come in in the morning, a phone call comes in, you put the radio on hold. 00:18:20.001 --> 00:18:22.001 You decide you're tired, you put it on hold again. 00:18:23.000 --> 00:18:24.001 You cut out the part you don't like. 00:18:24.001 --> 00:18:25.001 You just chop it out. 00:18:25.001 --> 00:18:26.001 You don't like my restaurant reviews. 00:18:27.000 --> 00:18:29.000 I love doing restaurant reviews but you don't like them. 00:18:29.000 --> 00:18:30.001 You just want to hear the technical meat. 00:18:31.000 --> 00:18:31.001 You cut them out. 00:18:32.000 --> 00:18:36.001 This non-linear digital approach to journalism raises both ethical and procedural 00:18:36.001 --> 00:18:39.001 questions that Malamud looks forward to discussing on the internet. 00:18:39.001 --> 00:18:43.001 We need to start seeing the Nina Totenbergs of the world showing up on the 00:18:43.001 --> 00:18:46.000 internet and we also want the individuals of the 00:18:46.000 --> 00:18:47.001 world being able to publish themselves. 00:18:48.000 --> 00:18:50.001 For the Computer Chronicles, I'm Janelle Stelson. 00:18:52.000 --> 00:18:54.000 And we're back with Howard Reingold. 00:18:54.000 --> 00:18:56.000 Howard, let's get back to the virtual community notion. 00:18:56.001 --> 00:18:57.001 You're logged on to something called the Well. 00:18:58.000 --> 00:18:59.001 How does that relate to the internet? 00:18:59.001 --> 00:19:03.000 Well, if you think of the internet as a digital superhighway, then all that 00:19:03.000 --> 00:19:07.000 information you can get that's like libraries and all of that software 00:19:07.000 --> 00:19:08.001 you can get, those are like warehouses. 00:19:09.000 --> 00:19:11.001 The Well is like a community where people live. 00:19:12.000 --> 00:19:15.000 It's not just information or products that you're looking for. 00:19:15.000 --> 00:19:16.001 It's connecting with other people. 00:19:17.000 --> 00:19:20.000 And there are many communities accessible through the internet. 00:19:20.000 --> 00:19:22.001 Show us on the Well the kinds of communities you're talking about. 00:19:23.000 --> 00:19:26.000 Well, communities are really built from people talking with each other. 00:19:26.001 --> 00:19:31.000 And this is about using computers to structure communications between humans. 00:19:31.001 --> 00:19:37.001 So here's a list of all of the general topics that people discuss in topic areas. 00:19:37.001 --> 00:19:41.001 So you have social responsibility in politics, and that includes everything from 00:19:41.001 --> 00:19:43.000 environment to firearms. 00:19:44.000 --> 00:19:47.001 There are hundreds of discussions in each one of those conference areas. 00:19:48.000 --> 00:19:52.000 Media and communications, you can see there are dozens of different topics there. 00:19:52.001 --> 00:19:53.001 Business and livelihood. 00:19:54.000 --> 00:19:56.000 This screen will go on for minutes. 00:19:56.001 --> 00:19:59.001 And each of these conferences is really the recording, if you will, of all the 00:19:59.001 --> 00:20:01.001 discussions that have taken place between 00:20:01.001 --> 00:20:03.000 all the members of this community, right? 00:20:03.000 --> 00:20:03.001 That's right. 00:20:03.001 --> 00:20:07.001 It's as if you walked into a cocktail party and you reeled back a conversation to 00:20:07.001 --> 00:20:10.000 the beginning so you could see what people were talking about. 00:20:10.000 --> 00:20:11.000 How do you use this? 00:20:11.000 --> 00:20:13.000 Give an example of one of the conferences you would be involved in. 00:20:13.000 --> 00:20:15.001 Okay, well, one that has a lot of heart and a lot of use to 00:20:15.001 --> 00:20:17.000 me is the parenting conference. 00:20:17.001 --> 00:20:18.001 We're not talking about computers. 00:20:18.001 --> 00:20:20.001 We're talking about our children there. 00:20:20.001 --> 00:20:24.001 So if you go to the parenting conference, you will find that there are a lot of 00:20:24.001 --> 00:20:28.001 topics within that parenting conference where people talk about where do you get 00:20:28.001 --> 00:20:33.001 a martial arts teacher for kids or what do you do about three-year-old jealousy 00:20:33.001 --> 00:20:38.000 or a child of cyberspace or putting baby pictures up online. 00:20:38.001 --> 00:20:41.001 So you can talk to people who have similar problems that you might not otherwise 00:20:41.001 --> 00:20:44.000 be able to meet or get to have this conversation with, right? 00:20:44.000 --> 00:20:44.001 Yes. 00:20:44.001 --> 00:20:48.000 In fact, you can have a kind of ready-made community when you need one. 00:20:48.001 --> 00:20:52.001 One real example of that was when one of the members of the community discovered 00:20:52.001 --> 00:20:55.000 that his son was diagnosed with leukemia. 00:20:55.000 --> 00:21:00.000 So, he opened a topic on the well, gave a little introduction to that topic in 00:21:00.000 --> 00:21:02.001 which he discussed what was happening to him and his family. 00:21:03.000 --> 00:21:07.001 And really, within minutes, other people began flocking to his help. 00:21:08.000 --> 00:21:10.000 And it was not just emotional support. 00:21:10.001 --> 00:21:13.000 There were a couple of doctors, a couple of nurses, and a couple of 00:21:13.000 --> 00:21:14.001 recovered leukemia patients. 00:21:15.000 --> 00:21:16.001 So that's kind of priceless help. 00:21:17.000 --> 00:21:21.000 You can get from people you may have never met before, but the well or other 00:21:21.000 --> 00:21:23.000 communities put you in touch with them. 00:21:23.001 --> 00:21:27.000 And you're on the well, but you might also be able to talk to people in another 00:21:27.000 --> 00:21:29.001 part of the country, another part of the world, for that matter, that 00:21:29.001 --> 00:21:31.000 they might be dealing with similar problems. 00:21:31.000 --> 00:21:31.001 Well, absolutely. 00:21:32.000 --> 00:21:36.000 You can get on to an on-ramp of the internet in Tokyo, and a second later, you 00:21:36.000 --> 00:21:38.000 are in the parenting conference of the well. 00:21:38.000 --> 00:21:43.001 So that's what I mean by a virtual community, is the time and space constraints 00:21:43.001 --> 00:21:46.000 of our normal communities are not there. 00:21:46.000 --> 00:21:49.001 It's what we're interested in and what we talk with each other about that 00:21:49.001 --> 00:21:51.000 really defines our community here. 00:21:51.000 --> 00:21:52.001 What else could we do on the well? 00:21:52.001 --> 00:21:55.001 What other kind of discussion or community could we get into, Howard? 00:21:55.001 --> 00:21:58.000 Well, you can go and talk about computers. 00:21:58.001 --> 00:21:59.001 I'm using a Macintosh here. 00:22:00.001 --> 00:22:02.000 You can go to the Macintosh conference. 00:22:02.001 --> 00:22:06.001 If you've got a problem and your best friend who knows about computers, his 00:22:06.001 --> 00:22:08.001 number is busy, you can log on to the well. 00:22:08.001 --> 00:22:12.001 And there are experts who are fighting with each other to give you the kind of 00:22:12.001 --> 00:22:14.000 information you need to solve your problem. 00:22:15.000 --> 00:22:17.000 Howard, what's the social significance of this? 00:22:17.000 --> 00:22:19.001 Is this really a major change in the way human 00:22:19.001 --> 00:22:21.000 beings may interact with each other? 00:22:21.001 --> 00:22:23.001 You're suggesting that in, say, the leukemia case, for example. 00:22:23.001 --> 00:22:25.000 Well, I believe that it is. 00:22:25.001 --> 00:22:29.000 You have to remember that in democratic society, citizens talking with 00:22:29.000 --> 00:22:30.001 each other is very important. 00:22:31.000 --> 00:22:34.000 We've lost a lot of that with the mass media. 00:22:34.001 --> 00:22:37.000 Now we have an opportunity for citizens to create their 00:22:37.000 --> 00:22:39.000 own communications with each other. 00:22:39.001 --> 00:22:43.001 So when these big deals with the big companies and the big governments carve up 00:22:43.001 --> 00:22:47.001 this new territory, I feel it's very important that we keep a kind of social 00:22:47.001 --> 00:22:51.001 green belt, that we keep the ability for citizens to talk amongst each other. 00:22:51.001 --> 00:22:53.000 Briefly, Howard, is there a downside? 00:22:53.001 --> 00:22:56.001 I mean, there's something limited about meeting people electronically. 00:22:56.001 --> 00:22:57.001 We're here face to face. 00:22:57.001 --> 00:22:59.001 I kind of get the sense of who you are and so on and so forth. 00:23:00.000 --> 00:23:02.001 Is there something missing, some negative to this online community? 00:23:03.000 --> 00:23:07.001 I think it's important to remember that just as a computer can connect us with 00:23:07.001 --> 00:23:10.000 people, it can also distance us from people. 00:23:10.000 --> 00:23:14.000 And you need to know that just as you can't trust everyone you talk to on the 00:23:14.000 --> 00:23:18.001 telephone, you can't trust everyone you meet in a virtual community until you 00:23:18.001 --> 00:23:20.001 meet them and get to know them offline. 00:23:21.000 --> 00:23:22.000 Howard, thank you very much. 00:23:22.000 --> 00:23:23.000 That is our look at internet. 00:23:23.001 --> 00:23:26.001 Stay tuned now for this week's Computer News on Random Access. 00:23:41.000 --> 00:23:44.000 In the Random Access file this week, there are some new entries 00:23:44.000 --> 00:23:45.001 in the subnotebook category. 00:23:46.001 --> 00:23:49.001 Canon introduced the InovaBook 1010C family of 00:23:49.001 --> 00:23:51.001 monochrome and color portable computers. 00:23:52.000 --> 00:23:57.001 The Canon 46SL subnotebooks weigh four pounds and come bundled with MS-DAW 6.2 00:23:57.001 --> 00:23:59.001 and Windows 3.1. 00:24:00.000 --> 00:24:04.000 One model comes with an internal bubble jet printer that's the smallest 00:24:04.000 --> 00:24:05.001 Canon printer ever made. 00:24:05.001 --> 00:24:08.001 Prices range from $1600 to just over $2000. 00:24:10.000 --> 00:24:14.001 Panasonic rolled out its new DX475 megahertz notebook which comes 00:24:14.001 --> 00:24:16.000 with a multimedia pocket. 00:24:16.001 --> 00:24:20.000 The pocket holds a floppy disk drive which pops out to accept optional 00:24:20.000 --> 00:24:24.001 peripherals including an internal CD-ROM drive, an extra battery 00:24:24.001 --> 00:24:26.000 pack or a TV tuner. 00:24:26.001 --> 00:24:29.000 Prices range from $54 to $5900. 00:24:30.000 --> 00:24:34.001 And Symantec has released version 2 of ACT for Windows, the popular contact 00:24:34.001 --> 00:24:38.000 management software which helps you keep track of your business relationships. 00:24:39.000 --> 00:24:43.000 ACT 2.0 now includes network support, integrated email and 00:24:43.000 --> 00:24:45.000 enhanced calendar printing functions. 00:24:45.001 --> 00:24:49.000 There's also a new version of ACT available for HP palm tops. 00:24:49.001 --> 00:24:54.000 Elacrity Systems has a new hardware-software bundle on the market called Office 00:24:54.000 --> 00:24:59.001 in a Box that turns your PC and printer into a digital copier, a plain paper fax 00:24:59.001 --> 00:25:02.000 machine and an electronic filing cabinet. 00:25:02.001 --> 00:25:06.001 The $500 Office in a Box bundle includes a scanner, fax modem and 00:25:06.001 --> 00:25:08.001 Elacrity's EQIP software. 00:25:09.000 --> 00:25:13.001 And finally, in honor of the 25th anniversary of man's landing on the moon, Alpha 00:25:13.001 --> 00:25:18.000 Books has released a new title called Computers in Space, Journeys with NASA. 00:25:18.001 --> 00:25:22.001 The book contains rare photographs and extensive information on the role that 00:25:22.001 --> 00:25:26.001 computers played in putting people in space and information on the possibilities 00:25:26.001 --> 00:25:30.000 of computer technology in future NASA explorations. 00:25:31.000 --> 00:25:32.001 That's it for this week's Computer Chronicles. 00:25:33.000 --> 00:25:34.000 I'm Janelle Stelson. 00:26:00.001 --> 00:26:03.001 Video cassette copies of this program are available. 00:26:04.000 --> 00:26:08.000 Computer Chronicles also publishes a companion newsletter containing details on 00:26:08.000 --> 00:26:11.000 products demonstrated and information on program topics. 00:26:11.001 --> 00:26:17.000 To order a video cassette or a newsletter, call 1-800-799-4949 00:26:17.000 --> 00:26:18.001 or write Computer Chronicles. 00:26:19.000 --> 00:26:21.000 Please specify program subject for tapes. 00:26:22.000 --> 00:26:26.000 All orders include a free software program for auditing software use and 00:26:26.000 --> 00:26:28.001 information on the definitive guide to keeping your 00:26:28.001 --> 00:26:30.000 organization's software legal.